Message-delivering device for trains.



P. P. SHIVES. MESSAGE DELIVERING DEVICE FOR TRAINS.

Patented luly4 3|, |900.

Smau/taz:

Patented luly 3|, |900.

No. esami..v

P. P. sun/Es. IIESSAGE DELIVERING DEVICE FOB TRAINS.

(Application ma my 1o, 1990.) (No Modal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

PETER P. sI-nvEs, .or DroKEYsMoUN ons-HALF To Jol-1N v. Insane,

UNITED STATES,

PATENT Cierres,

TAIN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF OF BRUNSWICK, MARYLAND; A

MESSAGE-Derivseme DEVICE `Foa ramas-yA srncrrrcA'rror fmng part of Letters Patent fno. 655,165, dated nity e1, 190e. i l

applauso. ser May io, 1900.

To all whom it may concern.'

Beit known that I, PETER P. SHVES, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Dickeys Mountain, in the county of Fulton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Message-Delivering Devices for Trains; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,isuch as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to makeand use the same.

The chief object ofthis invention is to provide for the automatic delivery of telegraphic and other written messages by the use of yielding grasping devices from a station toa moving train or at will from a'moving train' to a station.

To this end my said invention consists in the combination of a movableresilient holder and its supports on orinear thel track witha receiving device carried by the train, the said device being adapted to take a message-holding cylinder from the said holder as the train passes by.

The said invention also consists in the combination, with the said receiving device and holder, of ashelf or platform on the exterior of a car, said shelf being provided with a channel which conducts the cylinder from the receiving device to a receptacle within the car.

The said invention also consists in a yielding holder carried by the train and -in an inclined plane leading thereto in combination with the stationary holder along the track in order that a movable jaw enlever of the latter holder may slide down the said incline and strip themessage-holding cylinder from within the moving holder as the train goes bythe cylinder remaining thereafter in the said stationary holder until withdrawn by hand.

The said invention also consists in the combination, with the said holder and receiving device, thelatter having a movable resilient part, of a sliding pin in contact with the latterand a bell or equivalent alarm operated thereby within the car when a message-holding cylinder passes by the said movable part.

The said invention further consists in an electric alarm-circuit opened or closed by the opening or closing of track in order that a continuous alarm may be sounded' so long as there is a message within a the holder along the serai No.1@ i223. oro maar.)

the saidholder awaiting delivery/tp the traint or, if preferred, that a' signal may be given only when the message is delivered,

The said invention further consistsin divers additional details of construction hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a detail perspective view of the track-holder and its supports. Fig. 2 represents a similar exterior view of a part of a car provided with the shelf-receiving device and holder, the passage being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 3 represents a plan view of the shelf and the receptacle, the c over of the former being'removed; Fig. t represents a vertical transverse section through the carwall, shelf, and bell on the line of the sliding rod or pin. Fig. 5 represents a horizontal section on the same line, and Fig. 6 represents a detail perspective view of lever EL i In the said drawings, A designates the message-holding cylinders, which are preferably of light hollow metal or hard wood, open at end ct and tapering to a point at end ct.

B designates a stationary supporting-frame provided with feet b, having slots b', through which bolts b2 or screws are passed for fastening it to the ties of the railroad-track or other immovable base.

C designates a long vertical wall running parallel to the track and fastened to the upperends of the vertical bars of the said frame. At its lower vedge a narrow horizontal shelf D extends inward toward the track along the whole length of said wall, forming at one end the stationary lower jaw of the holder. Both ends of this shelf are beveled on top at d from the top outward and downward, and the proximate parts c are also beveled from the front outward and backward, these beveled faces serving `to allow the receiving device and` or offset c', to which is pivoted `by a pin e the :ce

lesser end of a clamping jaw or lever E, the

other end of which is beveled at e', as shown.

A spring F, attached offset, bears up against the heel E of the said by one end, tothe said se.

1o holding it securely against jaw'or lever, forcing the operative end ofthe same down on the cylinder A. The -sai'd spring-pressed 'jaw E and shelf or lfixed jaw` D constitute the stationary holder for` the.-

message-bearing cylinder. The Vsaid jaw is provided with a. recess Xin itsunder side to lit on the'upper part of the said cylinder, the

outer end of the said recess being square to overhang the end of the cylinder, thereby accidental displacement. The beveling in reverse directions of the proximate parts of 'shelf D and lever orjaw E'beyond this recess provides a flaring mouth, which facilitates the introduc- 15 tion of the cylinderby hand, it entering by the conical end. A fixed pin g under the middle Y of the said spring F braces the same and prevents it from being forced down too low..

H designates an exterior shelf carried by a zo car I, beveled downwardly at both ends like `D to allow the easy transfer of the cylinders from one to another.

The side wall of thel car has an openi-ngJ through it and a recep-. tacle K under the said openingwithin the f z 5 said car. Y The forward end of the shelf H is provided with an open-end longitudinal channel H', constituting it a receiving device for the cylinders. The bottom of the said device is cut away from the end inward with a V- 3o shaped excision to facilitate the entrance of i the cylinders.' From this channela curved passage L, covered by a plate L', leads to the f said receptacle within the car.

The othery end of the said shelf is provided with another 3 5 longitudinal channel M, flaring at its mouth M', and having an upward incline fm at the other end. .Within this channel and attached at their. inner ends to the thereof are two springs N N', their outer ends opposite walls 4o together constituting a spring-holder for cyll inderswhichare to be delivered to a station, f.

containing "a .message for said station or a` following train.

To the inner side of theref ceiving device H' is attached by one endan oblique spring 0, the other end of which Vis in contact witha pin or rod p, sliding through the proximate wall of. the car against another -jsp-ring P, attached thereto.

This bears by Vn n-7ans of an intermediate pin or rod p' against 5o aspring-arm Q, which carries the hammer Q' of the bell T. `In consequence wheneverV a message-cylinder is forcedv into the receiving devlice'i-t announces the fact by a stroke of' "the bell as it passes on through the said passage into thesaid receptacle.

The said shelf H ispreferably hung detachably to the outside of` the car by bent pins R entering holes `grin lugs R ofsaid car-wall.

' 6o below, locks it in place.

A turnbutton i Si Overlapping-a part of the said shelf from The rearward endg of. the receptacleK is provided with an interio'r inwardly and upwardly bent plate K', .whiclrserves 15o-prevent the cylinder fromj springingV over the rear wallof said recep-j sftacle when it enters-the same from the pasg sage-'with any considerable impetus.

The jaws D E' pf' ,the stationary cylinder:

holder are Aplates t u, which close a circuitthrough wires drawn.

provided with electrical contact- 'U o" to'a conventi'onally-indicated bellV when the-upper jaw D'closes on the lower one. When acylinder is betweenthe jaws, the circuit is, open and athe bell will continuously sound untilthe cylinderiswithdrawm Insulating-pads W are interposed between the said contact-plates` and the metal of the jaws.

`The greatest utility of this invention is for the. delivery of train-order messages directed to ,theemployeesony moving trains and for their messages to the oicials and stationmen. 'Usually therewill be a receiving-device receptacle and proximate parts, as'described, in the caboose, another being carried by the locomotive.;

The operation is as-follows z The trainorders having been telegraphed-to the station lin advance of the train the order-message forthe 'engineer is placed in one of the cylinders and put into the stationary cylinder-holder, and if-theeng-ineer has any message to leave he incloses it inanother cylinder and inserts this into the moving cylinder-holder fcarriedjby the locomotive, the cylinders in all cases pointi ing rear-ward. As the shelf on the car sweeps 'over the stationary shelf the cylinder in the stationary holder is. stripped by this move- 'ment therefrom, enters the receiving device,

'sounds the bell, as described, and passes on to the receptacle. A moment later the operative-end of holder jaw or lever D rides down IOO the incline into the moving cylinder-holder,

catches by the butt-end the cylinder therein,

.and drags it back into the stationary holder,

where by separating the contact-points it maintains a continued. ringing until with- The stationman promptlyremoves it and substitutes theother cylinder con-taining lthe orders for the conductor -orother When the caboose comes along,

'trainmem the same operation is repeated, the orders 'passing to the interior of the car and the message of'the trainmen being substituted for it. The square end of the recess intjaw D is useful in insuring the withdrawalof--t'he cylinder from the traveling cylinderholder.

i The shelves and jaw'D maybe made either of wood or of metaL In the former-case no insulating-pads are needed.Y 0f cou-rse ydivers IIO other small articles may be delivered in this way; `but practically a cone-tipped' cylinder, such asshownf, is the-most convenient.V

Having thus fully described-my invention, what I claim as new, and desi-re -to secure by lLetters Patent, is-i j l. In combi-nation with a cylinder-receiving device and provided with a spring operating I rom'one side ofthe receiving-passagenagainst the enter-ing cylinder, carried by a train, .a stationary spring-pressed cylinder-holder asrranged to deliver theA cylinder thereto asthe trainV passes, substantiallyas 'set forth.' 2. In combination witha cylinder-receiving device `carried -by-a train, 1a stationary springpressed cylinder-holder arranged to fdeliver the cylinder thereto as the train passes, and contacts forming part of an electric alarmcircuit and mounted on the parts of the said holder in order that the closing of the latter may bring these contacts together and thereby sound the alarm, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with a cylinder-receiving device carried by a train, a fixed shelf, a spring-pressed pivoted jaw or lever which closes on said shelf, forming a stationary yielding holder for a cylinder, the proximate ends of the said jaw and shelf being beveled Vin opposite directions to `provide a iiaring mouth, substantially as set forth."V

4c. In combination with a receiving device on a train, a stationary cylinder-holder consisting of a spring-pressed jaw and a shelf, the said jaw being recessed to fit on a cylinder and overhang its open end preventing accidental dislodgment, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with a cylinder-holder carriedl by a train, a stationary cylinderholder consisting in part of a spring-pressed lever adapted to enter the former holder, remove the cylinder therefrom and retain it by clasping it against a rigid platform or shelf, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination with a pair of springs carried by a train and adapted to hold a message-cylinder between them and an incline leadingl down to said springs, a jaw pivoted' to a stationary device along the track and.l adapted to slide down the said incline, enter between the said springs and remove the cylinder therefrom, and a shelf which forms the t lower jaw of the stationary cylinder-holder to receive and retain the cylinder thus removed, substantially as set forth.

7. In combination with a stationary cylinder-holder for delivering train-messages, a receiving device carried by the train, a passage leading inward therefrom, an interior receptacle below the inner end of the saidpassage,

and an upwardly-bent guard-plate at the rear end of the said receptacle to prevent the cylinders from flying out of the latter, substantially as set forth.

8. A removable exterior shelf adapted to be carried by acarand provided at one end with a receiving device for message-cylinders and at the other with a cylinder-holder, also with a passage leading inward from said receiver to a receptacle within the car, substantially as set forth.

9. In combination with a bell attached to a car message-cylinder receiver having an open channelwith a movable piece in the inner end of its mouth and intervening devices whereby acylinder in entering said channel and moving the said piece laterally will ring the bell, substantially as set forth.

10. In combination with a cylinder-receiver provided with an open channel and aninwardly-inclined plate in one side thereof, a pin sliding through the wall of a car and arranged in contact with said spring, a second spring acted on by the movement of said rod, and a bell-hammer operated by the pressure of this latter spring, substantially as set forth.

1l. A stationary shelf and a shelf carried by a car,

bination with a cylinder-receiver and a cylinder-holder formed in or attached to the carcarried shelf and a spring-pressed pivoted jaw or lever forming with the stationary shelf a cylinder-holder, the said jaw having also a square end recess on its under side and operating also to withdraw a cylinder from the holder on the said car-carried shelf, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my in presence of two Witnesses.

PETER I. SHIVES.

signature Witnesses:

4 D. A. CovALr,

lSHADE TRUAX.

both being beveled at the ends and one adapted to slide over the other, in com- A 

